I am so excited to announced that my boyfriend, Christopher, and I are engaged! He completely surprised me and proposed to me over the holiday weekend in the most thoughtful way possible (did someone say Paris?). Christopher is the best thing to ever happen to me and I could not be happier to go on this adventure with him. Let the wedding planning commence!

I have to say, his timing was pretty great, because now I can wear wedding whites all summer long, starting with this sweet eyelet dress that I picked up at a clothing swap a while back. Though it’s a casual dress, pairing it with an elegant clutch, fun necklace, and heels (my “something blue,” naturally), makes it the perfect outfit to celebrate such an occassion. Perhaps this will make an appearance at our engagement party…

Whenever I come across an item at the thrift store that has an unfamiliar tag, I always find myself asking, “What’s your story?” Whether it’s a beautiful silk and tulle cocktail dress or a brightly colored pair of coulottes, I have to know their history. Who made you? Where did you come from? What led you here? And yes, I do talk to my clothes.

This vintage velvet handbag’s story just begged to be told. It was among lots of other bags in a bin at Thrift Town, but immediately caught my eye due to the oversized lucite handle. I picked it up, ran my hands over the velvet, and fiddled with the kisslock closure. As I was marveling at it, a woman came up behind me, said how beautiful the bag was, and offered some advice for how to clean it up, as the velvet was a little stained. Honestly, the stains didn’t even bother me, so in my cart it went.

When I got home, I opened the bag and saw two letters on the silk lining: MM. I Googled “Vintage MM velvet handbag” and instantly, Morris Moskowitz appeared in the results. I saw lots of similar handbags with the lucite handle, in a range of fabrics and colors. Upon my reading, I discovered that Morris Moskowitz started his own brand in 1948 and carried on creating handbags until the mid 80’s in New York City. The designer was considered a perfectionist, and insisted that anything with the MM logo be of the highest quality. He preferred silk, leather, reptile skin, and fur for his creations and believed the fabric dictated the shape of the handbag. While classic, Moskowitz was able to leave his mark on every purse he created. Looking at the image results, all of the bags have an interesting shape or texture that make them stand out from other like designs of the time. They are truly beautifully designs.

As I scoured Google for more information about this designer, I found out that there is a 1960’s fur Moskowitz bag on display at The Met and that legendary handbag designer, Judith freaking Leiber even worked for him! Mr. Moskowitz has quite the reputation. And rightfully so. He made a name for himself creating artistic yet practical bags for women to enjoy. And now I get to enjoy my little slice of that history with my very own MM handbag.

I love putting together outfits inspired by fashions I see on Pinterest. It really proves that you can be stylish at any budget! Click the picture below to check out my latest thrifted Pinspired lookbook!

Click the picture below to check out my latest thrift haul featuring finds from WEAVEWorks, Eco Thrift, Freestyle, Goodwill and more! Let me know what your favorite piece was and how you would style it in the comments!

The Goodwill Outlet holds many things, though few of them can be described as beautiful. The large bins (hence the nickname), are filled with, well, everything. Shoes, clothing, housewares, furniture, bras, books, and undies. Yes, undies. I know, I’ve painted a lovely picture for you. Oh, did I mention how crowded and hectic it gets in that big warehouse? So why do I continue to shop there–why do I get SO excited to dig through those bins? Because every now and again, you find beauty within those heaps. Case in point, this vintage dress. It was buried under piles of clothes, but something about the print drew me in. I pulled it out and marveled at its unique shape and sweet details. The cut of the skirt, the slouchy pockets, the metal zipper. It is a true vintage beauty and so worth the effort.

After taking some time to focus on my YouTube channel, I am so very happy to dust off the old blog and reintroduce Thrift Your Heart Out to the world! I started writing this blog back in 2012 as a way to share my love of thrifting and encourage the masses to shop secondhand. Now, 5 years later, I’m happy to see the thrift industry thriving and shoppers proud to show off their preloved items. It seriously makes my heart sing. Thrifting is something I started doing as a hobby as a teenager, which now has grown to a passion and a way of life. I’ve committed myself to buying only secondhand clothing, shoes, and accessories to fill my closet and why wouldn’t I? There are beautiful, unique, and wallet-friendly pieces out there, just waiting to be found. I’m eager to share with you outfits that I put together using secondhand items, lookbook and haul videos, and other musings on my love of all things secondhand. Welcome to Thrift Your Heart Out.